Vandalism Closes Down Part of Joshua Tree National Park

Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park's Barker Dam

Graffiti at Joshua Tree National Park's Barker Dam site, as seen in February 2013. (Image credit: National Park Service)

In the annals of "What on Earth is wrong with people?" comes this news from National Parks Traveler about graffiti vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Graffiti has been proliferating in the park's Rattlesnake Canyon area since January, the site reports, with social media apparently fueling the vandalism. In response, park officials have closed the area to the public until they can evaluate and restore the scenic spot. The closure will last through at least midnight on April 30, at which point it will be re-evaluated.

Back in the fall, another area of the park suffered damage from unauthorized additions to climbing routes and the creation of new ones, with some Joshua trees being burnt.

Read more about Joshua Tree National Park.

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Andrea Thompson is an associate editor at Scientific American, where she covers sustainability, energy and the environment. Prior to that, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered Earth science and the environment. She holds a graduate degree in science health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a bachelor of science and and masters of science in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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